VALA and ebooks

Technology peeps ahoy,

The VALA 2010 conference is underway in Melbourne as I write.
Kathryn Greenhill, librarian 2.0 virtuoso is tweeting live from proceedings.
You can check her out here...
http://twitter.com/libsmatter

Also yesterday's Sunday Profile on Radio National was all about ebooks. Stephen Page of Faber and Faber is interviewed. As this happens to be the very subject we plan to explore with the public in just a few short weeks, I think we should check it out.
Download the podcast here...
http://www.abc.net.au/sundayprofile/stories/2811148.htm?site=greatsouthern

TTFN

QR Codes - assistance on the go

QR codes are graphic codes that can be read using the camera on many existing mobile phones with the appropriate app. There are a number of websites such as http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

that allow you to create your own QR code which can then be printed or embeded into a website. These codes can be used to convey text such as brief details of an event such as a seminar.

When used on a web-enabled phone, they can also direct you to a website for further information. QR codes are appearing in many magazines for this very purpose.

UTS Library is running a pilot project using a range of applications of QR codes. For example, they are including the codes on their promotional bookmarks and brochures to link clients to the relevant online content. They are also placing the codes on equipment used by customers in the library. If the customer is unsure how to use the equipment they can scan the code and watch a short demonstration video. This is a great way of supplementing existing assistance by providing a physical demonstration.

iPad

Apple have finally released the iPad after so much hype, rumour and guess work. Although not available for purchase as yet it has caused a lot of people to tweet, blog, comment and many articles written about it already. Some of these comments have been positive while others scathing for a piece of technology they still haven't touched yet.

Architectures have even already started to design ideas on how the ipad can be used in libraries.

From these articles, blog posts and tweets people can definately start making decisions on whether this new piece of technolgy works for you.

The major points that I can find that will help make your decision are:-

• iBook app at time of release will not be available in Australia. Even when it is, given the Australian laws limiting what e-books can be purchased, we will be limited, as with iTunes, on the content we can purchase.


• Will iPad will be the death of the Kindle? If the Kindle does not continue to develop it is predicted that the iPad will become the piece of technology that will replace the e-book readers.
  
• Apple have made the decision to use epub as the e-book format. Maybe with Apple adopting this format this will urge publishers to finally make a decision on what the format for all e-books will be.
  
• The cost is reasonable from the cheapest to the most expensive. Will the 3G version work in Australia? Only time will tell.
  
• No allowance has been made for extra memory that could cause problems.
  
• No handwriting recognition. What about making notes on e-books is it possible? Why didn't they think of this as an option?
  
• The name - who thought the ipad was a good option? Must have come from a man!

Stream me up Scotty!

Well it really should be no surprise to some that I'm a bit of a Trekkie, being dedicated enough even to order copies of a series at my local video outlet on VHS, that's how much I was obsessed. but then I became a librarian, and my Trekkie desires somewhat abated.

But this article I recently peruesd over on Agnostic, Maybe made me realise that elements of Star Trek are indeed creeping back into my life. With the increasing mobility of access to information, it is only the freedom of access that is keeping us from coming even closer to the way those space faring corsairs had information at their fingertips.

Now considering the fact that the Star Trek world had almost all information accessible anywhere anytime, where does this leave the path of the humble library building? People will have grown up interfacing with the Trekkie information receptacles, so there is no need for the everyday reference interview. So does this mean I should be looking forward to being out of a job?

Re-thinking about being a twit...

So having been using facebook for a few months now as a birthday present to myself, I've been trying to wrap my head around using social networking sites to the advantage of the library. This really came to the fore of my mind when we had a combined issue with our computers and phone system. I thought to myself 'hey, this would be a great time to tell our visitors about what's going on via twitter!', which has of course made me rethink about its uses as a communication medium. it could be used to remind patrons of events, provide quick reference pointers, even renew items. Whilst browsing through some blogs I follow there was a good one on some tools to enhance the twitter experience. The tools it mentions would go a long way in making twitter an effective and manageable tool in the library world;

bit.ly
Tweetdeck
Friendfeed
Twitter Search
Twitter Sheep

So if you are already using twitter, check them out and see what you think.

One Library to rule them all

So with the increasing digitisation of books, one does have to ponder the belief that will there one day be a singular address that can provide materials to everyone? Project Gutenberg and many others have tried to achieve this in the form of free digitisation, but with advent of online ebook vendors becoming more prevalent, a recent article champions google books as putting up its bid to bring the end of the library age as we know it. But how successful will this be?

Current trends of the now generation may be in their favour, but what will the end result be? The article somewhat takes the narrow view that books are simply a hoarding place for paper knowledge, but it disregards that most are moving toward a gathering place to access information, not just within its walls but online as well. What do you think?

Imagine the image of your images.

Confused? well given the advent of increasing levels of technology being adapted for use in the library, not all are so egalitarian when it comes to accomodating it. This even extends to the view that time honored librarian 'shush' being spurned as libraries become a place for social gathering; a cultural hub if you will. But not all would agree with this sentiment as the signage indicates. I can even remember the formative years of my youth being chided 'no dinner in front of the tv', would it now be 'no twittering at the table'?
So take a look at these pictures and have a think about how technology has impacted on the projected or percieved image of a library you know.

signage, originally uploaded by cindiann.

The Librarian’s Touch!, originally uploaded by vanhookc.